On Friday, the Kansas City Chiefs will get their 2025 season started. While the game will be played on an unusual day, in São Paulo, Brazil, the Chiefs will have a familiar opponent in the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers are entering year two of the Jim Harbaugh era, and they have high expectations after going 11-6 last season.
Los Angeles now has some new faces added to the party as it tries to take the AFC West away from Kansas City. Of course, the Chiefs aren’t going to just let that happen, and they’ll welcome all those new faces to the division on Friday night.
One Chargers newcomer who Kansas City will be getting real familiar with in Week 1 is Omarion Hampton. The first-round running back isn’t just expected to get carries in the game, he’s expected to start. Rich Eisen announced that on his show, revealing that Harbaugh told him in a production meeting the rookie will start.
Rich Eisen says that Jim Harbaugh told him in a pre-broadcast meeting that Chargers RB Omarion Hampton will be the starting running back over Najee Harris on Friday.
Via "The Rich Eisen Show" pic.twitter.com/xrLav4JxiT
— Alex Insdorf (@alexinsdorf99) September 4, 2025
Chargers rookie Omarion Hampton will start at running back against Chiefs
It was unclear who the starting running back would be for Los Angeles, as the team also signed veteran running back Najee Harris this offseason. Harris, however, missed the majority of training camp with a superficial eye injury from a fireworks incident. The veteran recently returned to practice, though, and is expected to play in Friday’s game. However, it’s the rookie, Hampton, who will be getting the start.
Assuming Hampton will also get the bulk of the carries, this could possibly provide a challenge for the Chiefs. Kansas City is aware of who Najee Harris is, and there wouldn’t be much concern with him in the backfield. Hampton, however, could quickly establish himself as the special running back many thought he was throughout the draft process.
The Chiefs will be determined to stop that from happening, but Omarion Hampton could prove to be a new problem in th division.
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